Dispensing cartridges of the general type with which the present invention is concerned, are widely employed. They are used in the application of caulking compounds, sealants, adhesives, or a variety of similar coating substances, to gaps, seams, joints or the like, for the interiors and exteriors of buildings and fixtures, such as tubs and sinks, as well as many other such objects requiring the application of suitable coatings. The coating to be applied generally is a viscous, plastic flowable substance and is contained inside the cartridge.
A conventional cartridge generally includes a hollow elongated tubular container for confining the coating, and a tapered spout serving as a port for delivering the contents of the container. Conventional spouts usually have closed tips. When it is desired to use the cartridge, the tip of the spout is cut off at an angle for defining an elliptical shaped orifice to help position the spout properly relative to the surface to be sealed or caulked. Pressure can be applied to the cartridge by means of a conventional caulking gun, or similar mechanism, or by squeezing the tube manually, to cause the coating to flow out of the spout orifice to the adjacent surfaces to be coated.
One of the major problems has been the proper positioning of the head of the caulking compound or other coating to the gap to be coated over with the caulking compound or other coating. In this regard, when attempting to apply caulking compound to an elongated gap by using conventional caulking cartridges, it is difficult, and in some instances impossible, even for the professionals, to cause the caulking bead to be delivered into the desired position all along the gap or area to be coated. The desired position of the bead is to have it enter the gap along its entire length, so as to provide a proper seal when the compound cures.
The desired application can only be achieved by positioning the angularly cut-off spout tip flat against the surface to be caulked, directly over the gap. In this manner, the cartridge is held at an angle inclined toward the surface to be caulked, in the direction of travel of the cartridge. Thus, as the cartridge is moved along the gap, the bead is delivered directly from the spout and downwardly into the gap in the desired manner.
The principal problem has been that the user tends to lift up on the cartridge inadvertently as the cartridge spout is drawn along the surface to be caulked. Thus, at least a portion of the spout cartridge is moved away from the angularly inclined position to a position which is closer to a perpendicular orientation relative to the surface to be caulked. In such a perpendicular orientation, the oval orifice is at least partially spaced from the surface to be caulked, and thus the bead trailing therefrom is free to flow onto the adjacent surface and not enter the gap in the desired manner. Thus, when the bead cures, air infiltration can occur, due to the faulty application of caulking compound.
In an attempt to correct the problem of the misapplied caulking bead, the user has generally resorted to "feathering." Such a feathering operation is accomplished by spreading out the caulk bead and pressing it manually with the user's wetted finger, or hand tool, down into the gap.
However, the feathering of the bead causes the bead to spread out at the edges of the surfaces defining the gap, thus causing the bead to be too thinly applied at the adjacent surfaces. As a result, after the compound dries, the bead tends to break readily, and thus the seal is not properly maintained, thereby resulting in unwanted air infiltration.
Therefore, when feathering is needed, the application of the compound is a two-step process. As such, it is not only unsatisfactory in the resulting application, but also is time consuming and awkward to achieve. Thus the amateur loses interest in performing his or her own caulking or other coating jobs, because of the difficulty involved, in performing the application properly. Also, the professional has a very difficult time in achieving the desired results, due to the foregoing-mentioned problems.
There have been many different types and kinds of devices which have been used for dispensing coatings. For example reference may be made to the following U.S. Pat. Nos: 845,530; 1,038,180; 1,086,796; 1,126,996; 3,653,560; 4,380,425; and 4,570,834.
One such devices is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,380,425, and relates in general to a caulking spout for applying sealing compounds. A finger shaped tip extends outwardly from the body of the cartridge for forcing the bead of caulk into the gap to be caulked. However, while the patented device may have been successful in simulating the feathering process, it has not solved, nor even addressed the foregoing-mentioned problem inherently associated with the feathering technique.
Therefore, it would be highly desirable to have a new and improved dispensing cartridge for use in applying caulking compounds or other coatings, whereby the cartridge construction would help facilitate the desired positioning of the spout orifice flat against the surface directly over the gap, as the cartridge is moved therealong. In this manner, the bead would flow directly downwardly into the gap in the desired manner, without the need for subsequent feathering.